Indie pop artist Maude Latour performed with a “Whirlpool” (2024) of emotion to a packed crowd at the Coca-Cola Roxy on Sept. 29. Clad in a miniskirt and chunky black boots, the 24-year-old coquettishly warmed up the Atlanta audience while opening for Fletcher’s “In Search of the Antidote Tour.”
A singer-songwriter born in Sweden and raised in London, Hong Kong and New York City, Latour first rose to fame when her song “One More Weekend” (2020) exploded on TikTok. The music video for the song features the then-Columbia University (N.Y.) undergraduate running around Butler Library, reminiscing on a former flame. As a student, Latour balanced concerts and classes, completing a senior thesis on the philosophy of aesthetics. Since then, she has released several catchy singles and a debut album called “Sugar Water” (2024), becoming synonymous with sapphic synth-pop, celestial imagery and cathartic lyricism. All three elements were on display during Latour’s set.
Latour starts her shows with “Cursed Romantics,” an upbeat track that evokes a star-crossed, cataclysmically doomed relationship. “Killer when we’re kissin’, fatalist collision / Baby, we’re just cursed romantics,” Latour belts, bouncing around the neon blue stage with a melodramatic flair — think Romeo and Juliet, Orpheus and Eurydice or Vronsky and Anna. “Tragedy, catastrophe, beautiful, so dramatic,” Latour asserts, tossing her platinum blonde hair.
The singer’s performance of “Whirpool,” a fan favorite, brought a fresh torrent of energy to the crowd, leaving viewers in awe of her vocal control. “The difference between loss and love is only letters and the / drugs you take,” Latour sang. The track’s lyrics are introspective and the delivery was convincing, making Latour — dusted in glittery blue eyeshadow — appear wise beyond her years.
Philosophical musings are part of her appeal. While some pop stars opt for superficial rhymes, Latour appears intent on injecting her appreciation for the metaphysical into her lyrics. This was evident in “Cosmic Superstar Girl,” a fast-paced tune about fleeting but formative memories. While Latour recognizes that she is powerless to prolong her relationship, she promises to relish in every moment: “Some nights change your whole heart in a minute / We were driving and I knew that if I blinked then I would miss it / It was fatal, there was nothing I could do except to live it,” Latour sang in the bridge as audience members held up their phone flashlights, creating the illusion of nighttime constellations.
Latour does not take herself too seriously, though: The set’s last song, “One More Weekend,” elicited joyful screams as listeners recognized the playful, iconic track. “Maybe I’ve been lying to myself since last October / ‘Cause I saw you ‘cross the campus and I wished it wasn’t over,” the crowd echoed exuberantly during Latour’s finale.
Latour also flirted with the audience, highlighting her connection to fellow artist Fletcher and past visits to Atlanta. Her playful on-stage personality reflected her signature free-spirited, alt-pop sound. Sonically, Latour was reminiscent of Marina and the Diamonds and Lorde. Visually, Latour brought to mind Chapell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, embracing female sexuality through bold makeup and hyper-feminine clothing.
Latour’s performance felt like an ode to navigating love and life in one’s early twenties. Being young is tumultuous and transient — but beautiful nonetheless. While intense emotions can often be ephemeral, it’s the very impermanence of the human experience that makes every decision in early adulthood so exhilarating. Latour embodied this feeling through her high-energy movements and multicolored aesthetic.
According to Latour, “Sugar Water” also alludes to a Leo Tolstoy fable in which a man hangs on the edge of a tree branch, caught between a hungry dragon and mice chipping away at the tree. While the man’s death is inevitable, for a brief moment, he finds peace by tasting a drop of sweetness on his tongue. Like savoring a drop of sugar water in the story, each moment — however brief — is fated to impart some lesson. Mine from the show? Latour’s music is much more than just bubblegum pop — and the up-and-coming performer is here to stay.
